Starting at a new school is awkward enough, but imagine it is junior high and you're used to living life as a spy. That's what is facing Cody Saron.
Raised by a CIA agent father, Cody has traveled the world at his father's side. He has been trained to watch his back and suspect everyone is out to get him. When a plot to kill father and son comes close to doing just that, Cody's dad decides it's time to send his son somewhere safe.
Cody is met at the airport by his Aunt Jenny. She's the sister of the mother he lost to an enemy bullet when he was only two years old. Having no memory of life with a doting mother, Cody isn't sure how this is supposed to work.
After Aunt Jenny gets Cody settled into the small house they will share, she makes arrangements to enroll him in the local junior high. Cody's only school experience has been homeschooling as he and his father move from one undercover location to the next. Although, he may be far ahead of his classmates in academics, Cody doesn't have a clue about how to dress and interact with kids his own age. This is painfully obvious in what he chooses to wear his first day and how he little he knows about what is appropriate behavior in his new surroundings. Countless taunts from classmates and several trips to the principal's office mark his first day of public education.
Dealing with issues at school proves to be only one of Cody's problems. Other concerns he faces include a stranger he discovers staking out his aunt's tiny home and a recently returned Iraqi war veteran with a keen interest in learning more about Cody's past. Cody is also surprised by his growing feelings about what it is like to live with a caring female in a "normal" family environment.
Author Greg Logsted combines the thrill of undercover espionage with the tough world of junior high to create a fast-paced adventure sure to interest middle grade readers. Cody is a likeable character living a colorful life but realizing he might want to settle down a bit.
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